Condenser



Dec 8, 1925 1,564,223

R. N. EHRHART CONDENSER Filed Feb. 8, 1915 'g' NVENTOR. 7T SQL HIS ATTORNEY /N FACT Patented Dec. 8, 1925. l

UNITED STATES RAYMOND N. EHRHART, 0F EDGEWOOD.

PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR T0 WESTING- HOUSE ELECTRIC & MANUFACTURING COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF PENNSYL- VANIA.

CON DENSER.

Application filed February 8, 1915. Serial No. 6,835.

To all whom 'it may cof/wcm Be it known that I, Rariroivn N. EHR- HART, a citizen of theIlnited States, and a resident of Edgewood, in the county of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, have made a new and useful Invention in Condensers, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to` condensing apparatus, and has for an object to produce such apparatus in which means are employed whereby the water of condensation discharged from the condenser may be utilized as the heating agent in a heating system.

A further object is to produce means for automatically controlling the delivery of condensing water to a jet condenser, operating in connection with a heating system in which the condensing water discharged from the condenser is employed as the heating agent.

A further object is to produce a jet condenser provided with new and improved means such that the condenser may be employed in connection with a heating system to which the water discharged from the condenser is delivered.

In condensers in which the condensing water is received at normal tempeatures and is discharged at normal dischargev temperatures, normal variations in the quantity of steam delivered to the condenser occasion relatively small variations in the pressure within the condenser and consequently do not materially affect the delivery of condensing water to the condenser. For example, condensers as ordinarily built are designed to maintain about a 28 vacuum, i. e., about one pound absolute aressure, with the injection water at 70 F. r verage practice indicates that, under the above conditions, the best results are obtained by circulating a quantity of water through the' condenser which will give a rise in temperature in the water of about 25 F., so that the discharge water will have a temperature of about 95 FO. The steam temperature corresponding to a 28 vacuum or oney pound pressure, absolute, is 101O F. The statement, therefore, may be made that'in ordinary practice condensers are so designed that the temperature of the discharge water is about F. less than the temperature existing in the condenser. If such a condenser receives an amount of steam which `exceeds the normal amount delivered to it by 50%, the temperature riseof the water will increase correspondingly; that is, the temperature of the discharge water will rise about 371/20 F. or to 1070. The steam temperature within the condenser, under these conditions, would average about 114o F., which would correspond to about a 27 vacuum. Correspondingly, if the load were entirely taken off the condenser, practice shows that the vacuum would rise to about 29". In other words, a condenser designed for normal service at 28 vacuum would give a 27 vacuum or 11/2 pounds absolute, receiving 50% excess steam, and a 29 vacuum, or 1/2 pound absolute pressure, while receiving practically no steam.

Now, it is evident that, if the atmospheric pressure is 15 pounds absolute, there will be little variation in the iovv of water into the condenser due to variations in the amount of steam delivered to it.l That is, if the higher pressure or atmospheric pressure is 15 pounds absolute and the pressure in the condenser varies only from 1/2 pound to 11/2 pounds absolute, it will be apparent that the difference in the pressure which is effective in forcing the water into the condenser will not vary greatly under the normal operating conditions of the condenser. Then the higher vacuum exists in the condenser, i. e., 29 or 1/2 pound absolute, the difference in pressure between atmospheric and internal pressure in the condenser is 141/2 pounds, while when the lower vacuum exists in the condenser, that is, a 27 vacuum or 11/2 pounds absolute, the difference in pressure yis 131/2 pounds. Now the flow of liquids is approximately proportional to the square root of the pressure difference occasioning the flow and it is therefore evident that the fiow of water entering the condenser under varying pressure conditions within the condenser will vary between the square roots of 131/2 and 141/2, a difference of only av small percentage under widely varying operating conditions of the condenser. Under such conditions the pump discharging water from the condenser would have to be designed to handle only a small percentage of increase in order to discharge the excess water delivered to the condenser while a 29 vacuum was maintained.

There a condenser delivers its discharge heating system 11 in which the Water is employed as the heating agent.

The pipe 5 communicates With any suitable source of supply, such for example as an open cooling tank 5 which may be located above or below the condenser, as the operating conditions may require, and into which the return from the heating system discharges. In order to prevent flooding of the condenser resulting from a falling olf in the pressure Within the condenser, I have provided a valve 12 Within the pipe or passage 5 for controlling the flow ot water passing therethrough. As illustrated, the valve is of the .butteriiy or damper type and is actuated by means of a float 13 located Within a chamber 14, in open coinmunication With the chamber 3 of the condenser and so arranged that the Water will stand at the same level in it as in the condenser. The float is adapted to open the valve 12 as the ivater level in the condenser falls, and to close it as the Water rises in the condenser. lith such an arrangement, the delivery ot' Water to the condenser is controlled by the Water level Within the condenser and consequent-ly flooding' of the condenser is impossible While the pump 9 is in operation. u

The valve 12 and its actuating float 13 are of simple construction and by providing the chamber 14 around the pipe or passage 5, it is unnecessary to provide glands for the valve trunnions 15 and, consequently, the valve Will operate freely in response to varying positions of the float.

The operation of the apparatus is as tolloivs: Under normal operating conditions the Water level Within the condenser is maintained ata determined height and consequently the valve 12 occupies such a position that it will maintain the desired conditions Within the .condenser lby proportioning the flow of Water to the condenser to meet the lexisting conditions. If now, .he steam delivered to the condenser falls ot't beloiv that Which is delivered under normal operating conditions, the pressure Within the condenser Will be diminished the How of Water through the passage 5 will be eccelerated due to increase in the diilerence between the external pressure and that existing` in the condenser and, as a result, the water level in the condenser will rise. This, however, will cause the valve 12 to close more or less and will retard the flow of Water to the condenser. If the Water level in the condenser still continues to rise, the valve 12 Will continue to close until it has yfinally reached such a position that the lioW of Water to the condenser is so diminished that the normal condenser pressure will again be obtained, due to the fact that the condensing Water will be heated to the normal discharge pressure in condensing the limited amount of steam delivered to the condenser. As the pump 9 withdraws thev Water from the condenser, the Water level in the condenser ivill again fall and the valve 12 will open and finally assume a position ot' equilibrium such that the'aniount ot Water delivered by it Will equal the amount ot Water discharged by the pump 9. In this position the valve delivers Water somewhat in excess ot that required to maintain the normal condenser pressure and consequently as the load conditionson the engine, served by the condenser, return to normal and a normal amount of steam is delivered to the condenser, the pressure in the condenser vvill rise andthereby decrease the etl'cctive head of the Water entering the condenser through thepassage 5. This will reduce the velocity of the lioxv of the Water and consequently the amount delivered to the condenser, and the pump 9 Will discharge Water trom the condenser faster than it is delivered'by the valve 12 at the setting described.

Consequently, the Water level in the con-l denser Will fall to normal and the valve will again assume its normal position. It', now, the steam delivered to the condenser' exceeds that which is delivered under normal operating conditions, the pressure in the condenser ivill rise above the normal pressure and theflow of Water through the pipe 5 will be retarded so that, with the existing valve setting, the pump 9 will be capable of lowering the water level in the condenser. As the Water level falls, the valve 12 Will open an additional amount and consequently Will deliver more water to the condenser' until a position ot equilibrium is attained corresponding to the amount of steam delivered to the condenser.

Thile I have illustrated and described one embodiment of my invention, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various changes, substitutions, modifications. additions and omissions may be made Vin the apparatus illustrated Without departing fronrthe spirit and scope of my invention. as set forth by the appended claims.

That I claim is:

1. In combination with a jet condenser, a hot Well having a lateral extension, a conduit for delivering` cooling Water to the condenser and passing through said lateral eX- tension, a valve in said conduit Within the extension, and a float responsive to variations in level of the Water in the hot Well for controlling said valve, said float being connected to the valve Wholly Wit-hin the lateral extension of the hot Well so that leakage around the connection will pass directly int-o the hot Well.

2. In a jet condenser, a hot Well, a conduit for delivering cooling Water to the condenser passing through at least a part of the hot Well, a valve in said conduit at a point Within the hot Well, and a float Within the hot Well for controlling said valve and the amount ot Water delivered to the condenser'.

3. In a jet condenser, a hot Well, a conduit for delivering cooling Water to the condenser, a valve in said conduit for controlling said delivery, a chamber surrounding said conduit and said valve, said chamber being` in open communication with the hot Well, a float for controlling said valve located Within said chamber and responsive to variations in level in the Water therein, and loose fitting connecting means between said float and said valve for preventing sticking or jamming of the float and valve, leakage around said means being conducted to the hot Well. y

Ll. The combination with a jet condenser receiving a variable amount of fluid to be condensed and consequently subjected to iuctuating vacuum pressures and having a condensing Water supply subject to such fluctuating pressures and responsive thereto, of a Water circulating heating system in which the inertia of the Water flowing therethrough is materially greater than the inertia oi the condensing Water flowing to the condenser, means for withdrawing condensate and con.- densing Water from the condenser and delivering them to the Water circulating system, and means for automatically controlling the condensing Water supply so as to prevent the combined amount of condensate and condensing Water entering the condenser fromexceeding the amount of' water being delivered from the condenser to the circulating system.

5. In combination, a jet condenser adapted to receive a variable amount of fluid to be condensed and consequently subjected to fluctuating vacuum pressures, a condensing Water supply subject. to such fluctuating pressures and responsive thereto, a Water circulating heating system, including a pump, communicating with the condenser, receiving condensate and condensing Water therefrom and adapted to circulate the water through the system lthe flow through which is less responsive to fluctuation in pressure Within the condenser than the flow of the condensing` Water supplied, and means for automatically controlling the condensing Water supplied so as to prevent the combined amount of condensate and condensing Water entering the condenser from exceeding the amount of Water passing through the circulating system.

6. In combination, a jet condenser, a condensing Water supply pipe and a steam supply pipe for the jet condenser, a pump conimunicating with the discharge portl of the condenser, a Water circulating heating system receiving the condensate and the condensing Water from the pump, an open reservoir receiving` the discharge from ythe heating system and delivering Water to the condensing ivater supply pipe, a means, including a valve in the condensing Water pipe, for auton'iatically controlling the condensing Water supply so as to prevent the combined amount of condensate and condensing Water entering the condenser from exceeding the amount of Water being delivered to the heating system.

7. In combination, a jet condenser adaptcd to receive a variable amount of fluid to be condensed and consequently subjected to fluctuating vacuum pressures, a condensing Water supply subject to such fluctuating pressures and responsive thereto, a Water circulating heating system in Which the fioW of Water therethrough is less responsive to fluctuations in pressure Within the condenser than the flow ot condensing Water to the condenser, means for withdrawing Water from the condenser and delivering it to the circulating system, and means for automatically controlling the condensing Water supply so as to prevent the combined amount of condensate and condensed water entering the condenser from exceedingthe amount of Water passing through the circulating system.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto subscribed my name this 5th day of February, 1915.

RAYMOND N. EHRI-IART. 

